Talk about a rare HO piece!! wow..

ed acosta

Member
Rare e-Bay item

I have the money. I just don't have the desire to own anything like this. Who determines how rare the item is and how they arrived at the price?

-Ed
 

CSX2342

New Member
I have the money. I just don't have the desire to own anything like this. Who determines how rare the item is and how they arrived at the price?

-Ed

The bidders arrived at the price... obviously there are enough people that want it, to bring the price to where it is already.
 

CNJ999

Member
I'm afraid that I fail to see this item as of any real significance, as might be a Lionel production model prototype, an engine of importance in the corporation's history, or something owned JLC himself. That's the sort of thing I can understand as commanding big bucks. But from the description, this appears to be simply a promo desk piece given away to NBC execs. Is there anymore background to its story?

CNJ999
 

Squidbait

Recovering ALCO-holic
Typical of people with too much money and too few brain cells.

It must be nice to have so much cash that $5000 for a piece of kitsch is no biggie. :rolleyes:
 

zedob

Member
$25 shipping? I would think that would be complimentary.

I think I could use $5000 on more important things, but I guess it's all realitive. 5 grand is chump change to some, but not me.
 
Yea i could see a lot of brass loco on my layout with that type of money. I don't think i would be buying any desk top piece for 5 grand.
 

TrainNut

Ditat Deus
I must agree. When it comes to trains, I am totally obsessed with pretty much any and all aspects. With this piece however, I find no attraction what-so-ever other than wanting that little Hustler just because my dad and I had one when I was a little kid. Ours was a rubber band drive and mannnn, that thing would do about mach 3 around the layout! I betcha I could find one darn near just like it for under $10.
 

Jim Krause

Active Member
It's amazing what can be called a collectable/antique on Ebay. When I looked at the thing, the only quality piece that I could see was the walnut base. Everything else was just junk.
 

eightyeightfan1

Now I'm AMP'd
I think whoever buys it is getting punked!
Look at the pics more closely.
The loco has in paint AEC(Atomic Energy Commision...Predessor to the Nuclear Regulatory Commision)and a printed piece of paper glued to the sides with WNBC Ch-4 on it Where's the peacock? If it was done from Lionel for NBC bosses, youd think Lionel would of done a better paint job then a piece of paper glued on to an off the shelf loco. Also...In 1959, Lionel was having fiancial problems. Giving away something like that for nothing would be stupid.
Second....Does that look like a box thats been sitting around for almost fifty years? If it was stored in that box, moved countless times, there would be some sort of damage, fading. looks too new. Though, it could be a new box, made for this item(Made to look original?).
The base maybe authentic. But thats the only thing thats real, and even thats not worth $5000.
But..If its for display, why would you leave the track connectors on? The rest, in my opinion is faked. The original loco that came with the base, may have been lost, ended up on someones layout from an estate sale, or in some kids sandbox.
I agree with Jim.....Junk!
 

CRed

Member
I think whoever buys it is getting punked!
Look at the pics more closely.
The loco has in paint AEC(Atomic Energy Commision...Predessor to the Nuclear Regulatory Commision)and a printed piece of paper glued to the sides with WNBC Ch-4 on it Where's the peacock? If it was done from Lionel for NBC bosses, youd think Lionel would of done a better paint job then a piece of paper glued on to an off the shelf loco. Also...In 1959, Lionel was having fiancial problems. Giving away something like that for nothing would be stupid.
Second....Does that look like a box thats been sitting around for almost fifty years? If it was stored in that box, moved countless times, there would be some sort of damage, fading. looks too new. Though, it could be a new box, made for this item(Made to look original?).
The base maybe authentic. But thats the only thing thats real, and even thats not worth $5000.
But..If its for display, why would you leave the track connectors on? The rest, in my opinion is faked. The original loco that came with the base, may have been lost, ended up on someones layout from an estate sale, or in some kids sandbox.
I agree with Jim.....Junk!

I agree,why would Lionel just slap stickers on an regular ol' engine if it was such a special item?I would think they would have repainted them for people that probably had discerning tastes as rich executives are known to have.Also look at the paper work,it's white as snow.Unless it was stored in a airtight climate controlled room or container for almost 50 years you'd think there'd be some yellowing or fading wouldn't you?Someone is going to be awfully upset when it's appraised I think.

Chris
 

CNJ999

Member
I agree,why would Lionel just slap stickers on an regular ol' engine if it was such a special item?I would think they would have repainted them for people that probably had discerning tastes as rich executives are known to have.Also look at the paper work,it's white as snow.Unless it was stored in a airtight climate controlled room or container for almost 50 years you'd think there'd be some yellowing or fading wouldn't you?Someone is going to be awfully upset when it's appraised I think.

Chris

While I continue to hold that the pricing on this item is totally absurd, given that I can see no historical significance to it, I'm less convince that it could be a fake. There are Lionel Collector's organizations that will authenticate rare, "valuable", items when they come up for sale and without whose OK Lionel collectors usually won't bid.

I would point out that many today would be surprised at what practices were done regarding early promo items. I can vouch for the fact that around that time many companies who gave multiple presentation items away did indeed simply slap a paper label on a product to customize it. Special print runs were expensive in both time and money and would only be employed in unusual circumstances, like one-of-a-kind presentation pieces.

With regard to aging or yellowing of the original product letter, don't be too quick to judge. In the use of digital photography today such might very well not show up clearly on the image unless the exposure had been perfect. Likewise, discoloration varies dramatically with the quality level of the paper.

I would agree, however, that the matter of the apparently pristine condition of the cardboard box is less easily explained, although the cardboard certainly looks to me to be of the kind used in the 1950'-60's.

CNJ999
 

riverotter

Midwest Alliance Rail Sys
Methinks something's rotten in Denmark ... fish perhaps? Because nothing stinks so bad as something that doesn't make sense when no sensible explanation is forthcoming. $1500 for a limited edition brass locomotive, maybe. $22K for that amateurish hunk of junk? If it's faked, at least they were smart [?] enough to use snap-track with brass rails.
 

MarcO

New Member
This is too funny. I was just down in my dads basement new years day looking for trains to fix. He has 2-3 of these in brand new perfect cartons from when he worked at NBC in NYC.
Its a Lionel HO switcher and yes it says AEC and has a little atom-whirl on it, and yes it has a piece of paper glued on it. I dont recall exactly what it said but it a piece of wood with a switch and its advertising the switch in the name of the station. I wish the ebay linked still worked so I could see that ebay ad.
Next time im down there all get you some pics.
 
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